Notes from the road – Edition 14: Rishikesh Yoga Teacher Training

India is delightfully chaotic. My first impressions of Delhi were of a city that wouldn’t be out of place in a film like Blade Runner. Dirty streets, towering buildings, an eclectic mix of people, and traffic that weaves its way between animals of all sorts that seem to wander freely.

As we left, we couldn’t help but notice the thick smog that sits on top of the city like a blanket. By mid-morning, we were free of the city, but the smog remained, a constant of life in India it seems.

At the foot of the Himalayas, Rishikesh is still a cacophony of car horns, animals, and people, but is far more peaceful that Delhi. The river Ganges sits at the base of the valley, ice cold and beautiful, while yoga centres and adventure companies occupy most of the real estate.

There are 25 of us completing our training at Rishikesh Yoga Teacher Training Centre. We rise early and the days are full of movement, laughter, and good people. I hadn’t realised the toal that travel had taken on my body. Running has kept me fit, but the soreness and stiffness I feel now is testament to how much my muscles have deteriorated since leaving Australia in February.

Our first full week of training is ahead of us, and there is much to learn, for both the body and the mind, which I am very much looking forward to.